re: The Iranian Election Has Left Israel Without A Bogeyman; What'll They Do Now?Posted by Porky on 9/19/13 at 3:15 pm to trackfan

America is kinda like the big dumb bully on the playground who has a little friend who likes to start shite. Little friend has plenty of sense but is paranoid as hell and constantly picking fights just to entertain himself by watching his big dumb friend eventually get punch drunk and go broke.

re: The Iranian Election Has Left Israel Without A Bogeyman; What'll They Do Now?Posted by trackfan on 9/19/13 at 3:27 pm to JEAUXBLEAUX

quote:I guess Israel is the only country that is nor allowed to defend it against enemies who swore to drive it into the sea. Oh they were just kidding.

You love to whine about "poor little Israel", but for a texbook example of why "the Mideast's only democracy" is so hated by its neighbors, read this recent story:

quote:Far-fetched Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations began earlier this month. But in parallel process for my family, long-time residents of occupied East Jerusalem, we have been sent into exile by the same Israeli authorities that claim they want to establish peace.

Our infraction? We had the temerity to live outside of our homeland for several years and the naivety to think we could return to Palestine for a summer vacation. Israel, however, allows such certainty only for Jewish residents of Jerusalem and not for the Palestinians whose land it occupied in 1967 – and certainly not for those Palestinians exiled in 1948.

It’s as though a Native American went to study in Europe and was expelled if she returned for a visit or to re-establish her life in the United States. Imagine your agony if you traveled abroad for several years and then were told by an (occupying) government that your right to return home had been forfeited while people of a different religion were allowed to make similar long-term trips or immigrate after never living there at all.

The double standard is obvious and should be addressed by Secretary of State John Kerry. Instead, Prime Minister Netanyahu inveighs against alleged Palestinian incitement when Mohammed Assaf sings of the Palestinian desire to return to homes and land from which over 700,000 Palestinians were expelled in 1948.

My family’s personal experience with this miscarriage of justice came in July. Just days into our vacation, the Israeli Ministry of Interior (MoI) presented us documents expelling us from our country, leaving us to face statelessness and exile. We are now in France, appealing our case, still in sharp pain, indignant about this injustice, and fearful for our future.

Our attorney hopes to convince MoI to reverse its decision on revoking our “permanent resident” status in East Jerusalem, where my husband was raised and my children were born. Should the MoI insist on its decision, two of our three children would end up stateless and passport-less. This will also mean that our family will not be able to live in, or possibly visit, our homeland again.

Israel imposed the “permanent resident” status on the Palestinians in East Jerusalem when it occupied and illegally, unilaterally annexed the city in June 1967 – thus not observing its obligations as an occupying power with regards to the provisions of international law, according to which Palestinian East Jerusalemites are not merely “residents” but are also “protected persons” who are entitled to continue living in their country. Over 14,000 Palestinians have been expelled since 1967.

re: The Iranian Election Has Left Israel Without A Bogeyman; What'll They Do Now?Posted by JEAUXBLEAUX on 9/19/13 at 3:31 pm to trackfan

Isarel is not perfect obviously. But that said, why can't its neighbors admit its there and let them live in peace. Yes I believe in the Palestinians having the West Bank but lets see two states living side by side in peace. Will you agree to that?

re: The Iranian Election Has Left Israel Without A Bogeyman; What'll They Do Now?Posted by trackfan on 9/19/13 at 3:39 pm to JEAUXBLEAUX

quote:Isarel is not perfect obviously. But that said, why can't its neighbors admit its there and let them live in peace. Yes I believe in the Palestinians having the West Bank but lets see two states living side by side in peace. Will you agree to that?

Yes, I agree with that. Egypt, Jordan and the PLO have already recognized Israel's right to exist, and in the 2002, the Saudis put a peace plan on the table that would have which called for all Arabs nation making peace with Israel, but Bibi threw it in the garbage can.

re: The Iranian Election Has Left Israel Without A Bogeyman; What'll They Do Now?Posted by Porky on 9/19/13 at 3:41 pm to JEAUXBLEAUX

quote:Isarel is not perfect obviously. But that said, why can't its neighbors admit its there and let them live in peace. Yes I believe in the Palestinians having the West Bank but lets see two states living side by side in peace. Will you agree to that?

Tokyo has its own terrorist attack. Remember the sarin gas used in the Tokyo subway?

Btw, Japan doesn't have to defend itself, they have the good ole USA to do that, remember?

Furthermore they aren't a Christian nation and I believe that makes a difference as does the fact it would be tougher for Islamists to "hide" there.

But Japan is a poor example of a peace loving nation. Throughout their history they were aggressive, and war like. Not until guess who conquered them, removed the emperor from real power and rebuilt their country did Japan become this nirvana you talk about.

Now let's see what would happen if the US wouldn't guarantee the free flow of oil on the world markets. I bet Japan would get real interested quickly in the Middle East.

re: The Iranian Election Has Left Israel Without A Bogeyman; What'll They Do Now?Posted by trackfan on 9/19/13 at 4:19 pm to doubleb

quote:Tokyo has its own terrorist attack. Remember the sarin gas used in the Tokyo subway?

But that was a domestic terrorist attack, not an Al Qaeda attack.

quote:Furthermore they aren't a Christian nation and I believe that makes a difference as does the fact it would be tougher for Islamists to "hide" there.

What are you talking about?

quote:But Japan is a poor example of a peace loving nation. Throughout their history they were aggressive, and war like. Not until guess who conquered them, removed the emperor from real power and rebuilt their country did Japan become this nirvana you talk about.

So you think that's what it's going to take for the U.S. to become a "nirvana", being invaded and conquered?

re: The Iranian Election Has Left Israel Without A Bogeyman; What'll They Do Now?Posted by doubleb on 9/19/13 at 4:31 pm to trackfan

quote:Tokyo has its own terrorist attack. Remember the sarin gas used in the Tokyo subway? But that was a domestic terrorist attack, not an Al Qaeda attack

Exactly, but they aren't exempt from terrorism.

quote:Furthermore they aren't a Christian nation and I believe that makes a difference as does the fact it would be tougher for Islamists to "hide" there. What are you talking about?

Muslim terrorists seem to go after Western/Christian nations more than they do other countries; however, that is just a generalization.

quote:But Japan is a poor example of a peace loving nation. Throughout their history they were aggressive, and war like. Not until guess who conquered them, removed the emperor from real power and rebuilt their country did Japan become this nirvana you talk about. So you think that's what it's going to take for the U.S. to become a "nirvana", being invaded and conquered?

I don't know what is going to happen in the future, but if we weaken our defenses, if we weaken our economy, and we weaken our character as a nation then we are more subject to being conquered by people who want to harm us.

And Muslim extremists want to harm us, and that would be the case if there was no Israel.

But no one knows the future, and I think it's best to stay strong as a nation, to defend ourselves, not to be a isolationist, but at the same time to pick our friends and our causes smartly.

re: The Iranian Election Has Left Israel Without A Bogeyman; What'll They Do Now?Posted by doubleb on 9/19/13 at 5:00 pm to Porky

quote:I agree. And I also think it would be a good idea to quit trying to overthrow foreign governments. It's just not smart. Like General Wesley Clark's reference to the statement made to him..."in their bag of tricks, if all one has is a hammer, everything looks like it needs to be nailed"...or something like that. We can't afford to keep doing the same things over and over and making the same mistakes, while at the same time expecting different results.

I'd never say never; however, I agree the US govt. does a terrible job of picking winners and losers.